SC974-7-SP-CO:
Survey Measurement and Question Design
2025/26
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
20
08 February 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MSC L31012 Survey Methods for Social Research,
MSC L310MO Survey Methods for Social Research
This module focuses on theoretical and practical tools for developing and writing survey questions and constructing questionnaires. The major emphasis is on how to construct individual survey questions and then put them together into a questionnaire. Topics include sources of survey error, response theories, visual design, open-ended questions, nominal and ordinal closed ended questions, mode issues, pretesting, and implementation.
The module course will consist of lectures, readings, discussion, and assignments. Throughout the course, students will apply what they are learning to the development of a questionnaire and implementation materials and will have opportunities to receive feedback on their questionnaire. The primary objective of this course is for each student to obtain and be able to demonstrate a full working knowledge of the science (concepts, theory, and empirical research) of questionnaire design.
The aim of this module is:
- To obtain and be able to demonstrate a full working knowledge of the science (concepts, theory, and empirical research) of questionnaire design.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical basis of survey measurement and measurement error.
- Identify appropriate survey design strategies for a range of measurement challenges.
- Understand the stages of completing a useful and appropriate survey.
- Design a questionnaire.
Syllabus
- Lecture 11 – Introduction to survey measurement and measurement error.
- Lecture 12 – Developing new questions.
- Lecture 13 – Behaviours and events: Retrieval and estimation.
- Lecture 14 – Attitudes (I): Questions and response effects.
- Reading Week.
- Lecture 15 – Attitudes (II): Response scales; demographic and knowledge questions.
- Lecture 16 – Editing: Sensitive questions; questionnaire structure.
- Lecture 17 – Testing survey questions.
- Lecture 18 – Web-designed questionnaires.
- Lecture 19 – Paper self-administered and interviewer-administered questionnaires.
This module will be delivered via:
- One 2-hour weekly seminar.
Attendance in person is expected.
-
Bradburn, N.M.
et al. (2020e)
Asking Questions. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=184452.
-
Fowler, F.J. (1995d) Improving survey questions: design and evaluation. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
-
Edith Desirée de Leeuw, J. J. Hox, and Don A. Dillman (2008b)
International handbook of survey methodology. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum. Available at:
http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203843123.
-
Nora Cate Schaeffer and Elizabeth Thomson (1992b) ‘The Discovery of Grounded Uncertainty: Developing Standardized Questions about Strength of Fertility Motivation’,
Sociological Methodology, 22, pp. 37–82. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/270992?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
-
van Deth, J.W. (2014b) ‘A conceptual map of political participation’,
Acta Politica, 49(3), pp. 349–367. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1057/ap.2014.6.
-
Lars Lyberg (1997c)
Survey measurement and process quality. New York: Wiley. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1011367.
-
Roger Tourangeau, Lance J. Rips, and Kenneth A. Rasinski (2000b)
The psychology of survey response. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at:
https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511819322.
-
Norbert Schwarz (2009b)
Cognition and communication: judgmental biases, research methods, and the logic of conversation. New York: Psychology Press. Available at:
https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9781315805887.
-
Scot Burton and Edward Blair (1991b) ‘Task Conditions, Response Formulation Processes, and Response Accuracy for Behavioral Frequency Questions in Surveys’,
The Public Opinion Quarterly, 55(1), pp. 50–79. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2749141?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
-
Norbert Schwarz, Hans-J. Hippler, Brigitte Deutsch and Fritz Strack (1985b) ‘Response Scales: Effects of Category Range on Reported Behavior and Comparative Judgments’,
The Public Opinion Quarterly, 49(3), pp. 388–395. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2748649?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
-
Norbert Schwarz, Fritz Strack and Hans-Peter Mai (1991b) ‘Assimilation and Contrast Effects in Part-Whole Question Sequences: A Conversational Logic Analysis’,
The Public Opinion Quarterly, 55(1), pp. 3–23. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2749139?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
-
Seymour Sudman, Norman M. Bradburn, and Norbert Schwarz (1996) ‘Order effects within a question’, in Thinking about answers: the application of cognitive processes to survey methodology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
-
Jon A. Krosnick and Leandre R. Fabrigar (1997a) ‘Designing rating scales for effective measurement in surveys’, in
Survey measurement and process quality. New York: Wiley, pp. 141–164. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1011367.
-
Norbert Schwarz, Bärbel Knäuper, Hans-J. Hippler, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann and Leslie Clark (1991b) ‘Rating Scales: Numeric Values May Change the Meaning of Scale Labels’,
The Public Opinion Quarterly, 55(4), pp. 570–582. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2749407?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
-
Gordon B. Willis (1999a) ‘Cognitive Interviewing: A “How To” Guide’. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241686481_Cognitive_Interviewing.
-
-
Lilli Japec (2008) ‘Interviewer error and interviewer burden.’, in
Advances in telephone survey methodology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 187–211. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=331435.
-
Cleo Redline
et al. (2003) ‘Improving navigational performance in U.S. Census by altering the visual languages of branching instructions’,
Journal of Official Statistics, 19(4), pp. 403–419. Available at:
https://www.scb.se/contentassets/ca21efb41fee47d293bbee5bf7be7fb3/improving-navigational-performance-in-u.s.-census-2000-by-altering-the-visually-administered-languages-of-branching-instructions.pdf.
-
Don A. Dillman, Arina Gertseva, and Taj Mahon-Haft (2005) ‘Achieving usability in establishment surveys through the application of visual design principles’,
Journal of Official Statistics, 21(5), pp. 183–214. Available at:
https://www.scb.se/contentassets/ca21efb41fee47d293bbee5bf7be7fb3/achieving-usability-in-establishment-surveys-through-the-application-of-visual-design-principles.pdf.
-
Jon A. Krosnick and Leandre R. Fabrigar (1997b) ‘Designing rating scales for effective measurement in surveys’, in
Survey measurement and process quality. New York: Wiley, pp. 141–164. Available at:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1011367.
-
Gordon B. Willis (1999b) ‘Cognitive Interviewing: A "How To” Guide’. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241686481_Cognitive_Interviewing.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Class participation |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Analysis Plan |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Developing New Questions |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Formatted Questionnaire |
|
45% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Pablo Cabrera Alvarez, email: pcabre@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Pablo Cabrera Alvarez (ISER)
socpgtad@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
Mr Paul Stoneman
Goldsmiths College, University of London
Available via Moodle
Of 18 hours, 18 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.